Lithgow City Council wishes to remind residents that Lithgow Solid Waste Facility is closed to the public in response to COVID-19.

Whilst the decision to close Lithgow Solid Waste Facility to the public was at the request of the landfill contractor for the health and safety of their staff, it is equally important to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic in our region.  The response by Lithgow City Council reinforces recent NSW Public Health Orders that restricts people movement during this pandemic. 

Under the current Public Health Order a person can only leave the home for the ‘essential’ reasons of:

• Work, if a person can't work from home
• School or an educational institution
• Shops for food and other essential items
• Get medical care
• Exercise, but only if the exercise is done alone or with one other person

Beyond those essential reasons for leaving the home, the NSW Government has provided a list which would "excuse" somebody being outside. It includes:

• Fleeing an unsafe home, so to avoid injury or illness
• Dealing with an emergency or on compassionate grounds
• Providing care or helping a vulnerable relative/person
• Taking your child to childcare
• Attending a wedding (adhering to the five-person limit) or a funeral (adhering to a 10-person limit)
• Moving house or moving between two places of residence
• Donating blood
• Fulfilling legal obligations
• Accessing support services such as employment services, mental services etc
• Fulfilling parental sharing arrangements of children (the Government says those conditions shouldn't change and children can move between homes)
• Going to a place of worship or to provide pastoral care, if you are a priest, minister or member of a religious order.

Lithgow Solid Waste Facility remains open for kerbside and commercial vehicles (and bushfire waste as part of the coordinated clean-up) to ensure an essential waste service is still provided for the community. Persons who have a specific problem and need to urgently dispose of waste prior to the weekly kerbside pickup can contact the weighbridge on 0417 226 429.  Council is asking residents to be patient during this difficult time and avoid any activities that will generate waste requiring a visit to the waste facility.

Council would also like to remind residents that the Government restrictions apply to visiting rural landfills and transfer stations. Some residents in these areas do not have a kerbside service and the rural sites remain open to continue to provide an essential waste service for those people.  Whether these facilities remain open will be the subject of review.  Residents are strongly encouraged to only use them if they do not have access to a kerbside collection service. 

Lithgow Mayor Ray Thompson called on all communities in the Lithgow LGA to continue to support the very competent initiatives that the Federal and State Governments have put in place to protect us as they navigate the current COVID – 19 emergency.

“We need all politicians and community members to unite behind what is proving to be an extremely competent response to the difficulties faced by our current government, and to avoid divisive actions that may disrupt the strategies that are in place” said Mayor Thomson.

“The Governments strategies focusing on

• protecting employees, the unemployed and most vulnerable in our community ,
• Protecting our businesses,
• social distancing,
• arranging partnerships with private hospitals to access 34000 more hospital beds and more qualified nursing staff, and
• Rental assistance to residential and commercial tenant

are the most targeted and welcomed strategies that I have witnessed in my political career, and deserve the support of all politicians and community members as this crisis unfolds” said the Mayor.

“For our part, we must support these strategies by staying at home where possible and maintaining the social distancing guidelines that have been mandated,” said the Mayor

Following advice from the NSW State Government, NSW Office of Sport and Golf NSW, Lithgow City Council will be immediately closing the Lithgow Golf Course until further notice.

Recently the Prime Minister announced further restrictions in relation to social gatherings and self-isolation of the elderly in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. It is Golf NSW’s recommendation that all golf courses in NSW close at midnight on March 30, 2020 until further notice.

Council understands the health benefits, both mental and physical that golf provides, however, in its guidance the Government has listed four reasons in which you may leave your home in the current circumstances; for work, exercise, food, and for medical reasons. Sadly, under the current restrictions, sport is considered non-essential and therefore not exempt. Action by authorities, including fines, could be imposed on people not adhering to these regulations.

Please be advised that golf course maintenance will continue for as long as staff are able to adhere strictly to social distancing requirements. Further information will be communicated to the public should the situation change.

The closure of the Lithgow Golf Course is consistent with similar decisions being made in other States and Territories, with regular communications also being provided by Golf Australia.

Lithgow City Council wishes to announce the following changes and updates to waste services in response to COVID-19 to protect workers and members of our community.

Lithgow Solid Waste Facility

From Monday 30^th March the Lithgow Solid Waste Facility will be closed to the general public until further notice.  Only customers providing ‘essential services’ (such as kerbside and commercial collection vehicles) will be permitted to enter the site.  Regular commercial customers can still gain access as well as deliveries of contracted bushfire related waste organised through the ‘co-ordinated cleanup’.

Residents with general household waste still have access to kerbside services that will continue to operate as normal. Residents are asked to avoid undertaking any activities that will generate waste requiring a visit to the waste facility.  Should a residential customer encounter exceptional circumstances that requires waste to be disposed of prior to the regular weekly collection then they may contact the weighbridge on 0417 226 429.  Requests will be considered on a case by case basis.

Rural Landfills and Transfer Stations

All Lithgow rural landfills and transfer stations will continue operating as normal for the present time. However, Council is asking residents to avoid going to these sites for anything that isn't essential or urgent. We know that generating waste is unavoidable, and some rural residents don’t have access to kerbside services, but please try to avoid any unnecessary activities that may generate waste where possible during this crisis.

Kerbside Collections Services

All kerbside collection services continue to operate as per normal. This includes weekly kerbside waste, fortnightly recycling and the scheduled green waste clean-up commencing 6^th April 2020.

Council takes advice on all public health matters from the State and Federal health departments and may need to update its response should the situation change.

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of new and enhanced social distance measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, Council’s services and facilities will be further impacted.

Council’s community halls are now closed and forward bookings will not be taken for the next six months. Council had already taken action to cancel current hall bookings. Any customers who have made hall bookings online will be refunded to the credit / debit card provided. Other hall booking payments will be refunded by EFT or cheque.

Council’s community halls include the Civic Ballroom, Crystal Theatre, Union Theatre, Vale of Clwydd Hall, Meadow Flat Hall and Hermitage Hall.

Council’s sporting fields are already closed for organised sporting events.

The following Council facilities will be closed effective from 11.59pm 25 March 2020 in accordance with the extended restrictions and Council’s response to social distancing guidelines:

• Council’s sports grounds will be closed for social sporting-based activities

• The Blast Furnace Park site will be closed with the addition of historic sites to the closed venues list

Lake Wallace campground will be closed for overnight camping effective from 26 March 2020. Overnight stays and camping at any other sites is also not permitted. Caravan parks and Lake Lyell Recreation Park remain open at present.

The following facilities were closed last week and will now remain closed until further notice:

• All libraries
• JM Robson Aquatic Centre
• Eskbank House Museum
• Lithgow Visitor Information Centre

Council will issue a separate media release with regard to closure of the Lithgow Customer Service Centre for face-to-face contact. Council will provide details of alternative options for customers to contact Council and to make payments.

Based on advice from the State and Federal government, Council will update its COVID-19 response should the situation change.

Following the latest COVID-19 advice regarding social distancing and   indoor gatherings, the livestreamed Council meeting which was to be held on 23^rd March 2020 has been postponed.

After considering the latest advice, it has been decided to postpone tonight’s Council meeting for up to 4 weeks pending further advice concerning the COVID-19 emergency. The Office of Local Government is now working on a change to meeting procedure to facilitate future Council meetings to be conducted by teleconference and video conference. We hope to have a response on these changes within the next week.

The announcements by the Federal and State Governments over the past 12 hours have highlighted the heightened risk to our community, and particularly our elderly, and Council will do all that it can to ensure the safety of our Lithgow LGA residents and others.

Lithgow City Council’s priority is the health of our staff, and the health of our community, and we are focused on continuing to safely deliver essential services to the community.

As part of its COVID-19 response, Council’s staff are moving to a rostered teams approach for four weeks from 23 March 2020. Around half of each of Council’s internal teams will work from home and half from their workplace on a “week on, week off” basis. The rostered teams approach will lower the risk of infection for individual staff and ensure business continuity for Council.

Water and Wastewater will utilise contractors to ensure that service is maintained whilst teams operate on a split rotating roster, including working from home on key projects. Infrastructure Services teams will operate on a split roster as is practical and will otherwise implement social distancing practices, additional hygiene measure and changes to cleaning practices.    

During the four week period, there will be impacts on the level of service which Council can provide. Council seeks the community’s patience and understanding at this challenging time.

Please be assured that Council will continue to deliver our most essential services including:

• Urgent road maintenance;
• Water & sewer services;
• Domestic Waste collection and Lithgow Waste Management Facility; and
• Dealing with dangerous dogs.

The bushfires followed by COVID-19 have heavily impacted many local businesses. Where you can, please shop local, buy local - our businesses really need your help now.

Council takes advice on all public health matters from the State and Federal health departments and may need to update its response should the situation change.